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‘I DARE you’: El-Sayed says Trump is ‘too afraid’ to campaign in Michigan

Oct 6, 2026 · 41m

Summary

With 29 days until the midterms, Chris Hayes analyzes Republican desperation as they pour billions into ads while facing unfavorable polls and economic headwinds. Guests David Plouffe and Michelle Goldberg discuss the diminishing returns of this "money bomb" strategy in key states like Texas and Kansas. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed challenges Donald Trump to campaign in Michigan and discusses the impact of corporate PACs on his race. Finally, author Michael Lewis joins to discuss his new book on federal employees resisting the dismantling of the civil service by Elon Musk's DOGE.

Topics discussed

Sponsors and episode preview Midterm polling and Trump's approval ratings Republican spending advantage and Senate races Texas Senate race and billionaire influence Negative ads and voter fatigue in Ohio Interview with David Plouffe and Jen Psaki Sponsor breaks Senate races and fundraising challenges Interview with Abdul El-Sayed on campaign finance El-Sayed on foreign policy and Iran conflict El-Sayed on retail politics and legislative process Upcoming shows and sponsor breaks Introduction to Michael Lewis and his new book Lewis on the nature of the Doge crisis The U.S. Institute of Peace standoff Assessing the success of government restructuring Show outro and final sponsor
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